28. Virtue alone makes us happy. Virtue only makes us happy. Virtue unassisted makes us happy. The second is ambiguous. If only be taken as an adjunct of virtue, then, nothing but virtue makes us happy; if taken with makes, then all virtue can do is to make us happy. IV. Almost and mostly mean the greater part. nearly the whole; mostly, a portion greater than half. Almost means 29. A peninsula is [almost, mostly] surrounded by water. Apply the definition in both forms to Africa and to Hindostan. V. Amazed, astonished, confounded, and surprised mean unexpected. But I am amazed by what is incomprehensible; astonished at what is vast or great; confounded by what is shocking; surprised by what is new or unexpected. 30. I am amazed by the goodness of the Divine Being; astonished at the extent of his works; confounded by the conduct of the Evil One; and surprised by the appearance of meteors. VI. Ambiguous and equivocal mean uncertain. Ambiguous is applied to an expression, which may be taken in two ways, as in example twenty-eighth; equivocal is applied to an expression, which has two meanings; one being known, and the other unknown to one of the parties. 31. A man, whose thoughts are confused, will often be ambiguous; an honest man never equivocates. VII. Austerity, rigor, severity, imply harshness. Austerity relates to the manner of living, as opposed to effeminacy; rigor, to punishing, as opposed to clemency; severity, to thinking, as opposed to relaxation. 32. A hermit is austere in his life; a fop is effeminate. A judge is rigorous in the application of law; the executive is clement in its execution. A casuist is severe in applying rules; a latitudinarian is relax in his principles. VIII. By and with signify cause, manner, &c. By shows the relation of the Producer as a second object; with shows the relation of a second object of means, or instrument. IX. Calm, peace, and tranquillity mean quiet. Calm, with regard to a disturbance; peace, a state free from causes which disturb; tranquillity, free from trouble. 33. A good man enjoys the calm after the storm, peace with others, and tranquillity in himself. X. Complete and entire mean not wanting. Complete, wanting none of its appendages; entire, wanting none of its parts. 34. John has the entire house, but has no complete apartment. XI. Custom and habit signify usual actions. Custom refers to the act of a tribe or nation; habit, to the actions of individuals, produced by custom. 35. By the power of custom, habit grows. XII. Desist, quit, and renounce mean to leave. We desist because the attempt is difficult; quit, to do something else; and renounce, because we are weary, or disgusted.. 36. A politician desists from his plans, when they are too difficult; he quits office-seeking for some respectable pursuit; and he renounces party politics, because he is disgusted by them. XIII. Difficulty, impediment, and obstacle signify stops, or hindrances. Difficulties grow out of the pursuit, and stop us by embarrassing, or confusing us. We overcome difficulties. Impediments do not belong to the pursuit, or are foreign to it, and hinder or retard our progress. We remove impediments. Obstacles are foreign to the pursuit and stop us. We surmount obstacles. 37. Here our road branched in several directions, and we halted until, by consulting the guide-book, we overcame this not-unexpected difficulty. A little farther ahead, a couple of trees had fallen across the road. The first, being a small one, formed an impediment, which we easily removed; but the second, being very large, formed a more serious obstacle, which, by a temporary bridge of poles, we finally surmounted. XIV. Discover and invent mean to find. Discover, to find what was hidden, but already made; invent, to find how to make new things. 38. Hervey discovered the circulation of the blood; but Galileo invented the telescope. XV. Distinguish and separate signify difference. To distinguish is to divide into kinds or classes according to some property as a basis; to separate is to take the parts from each other. 39. We distinguish the different kinds of grain; as, wheat, rye, &c. We separate, by putting them into different bins. XVI. Enough and sufficient relate to quantity. Enough relates to the quantity, which one desires; sufficient, to the quantity used. 40. The covetous man never has enough; although he has sufficient for nature. 41. There are three things, that are never satisfied, yea, four things, which say not, It is enough. XVII. Fatigue and weariness mean loss of endurance. Fatigue is loss of endurance from labor; weariness, from continuance. 42. I am fatigued by great exertions in a few minutes; but I am wearied without an effort by the length of time. XVIII. Observe and remark mean to notice, or to say. Remark is to notice objects; observe, to notice their relations, or uses. 43. The traveller remarks the different objects, that meet his view, and observes their relations to each other. XIX. Pride and vanity imply esteem. Pride is undue self-esteem. Vanity, undue desire for the esteem of others. 44. Dean Swift says, "A man may be too proud to be vain." XX. Prudence and wisdom imply propriety of action. Prudence prevents us from saying, or doing improper things; wisdom leads us to speak and to do proper things. 45. A prudent man employs the best means for avoiding difficulties; a wise man, the best means for overcoming them. Third Suggestion. We can not too strongly enforce the importance of frequent exercise in the comparison of synonymous words. Every remark, every paragraph, in which any words, which have corresponding, or equivalent words should be carefully criticised. For instance; Student, I understand this example. Teacher. Are you sure? Do you understand it, or do you know it? Teacher. What is the difference? 10. Clearness has reference to that part of perspicuity, which depends on the position of restrictive, or qualifying words, phrases, or sentences. It is opposed to ambiguity, equivocation, and obscurity. a. By many, clearness is confounded with perspicuity. The differ ence, as here used, is conventional, or technical. b. We have shown (p. 151), that the Simple, or Direct arrangement of an English sentence requires, first, the subject and its adjuncts; second, the affirmer and its adjuncts; third, the first object and its ad juncts; and fourth, the second objects and their adjuncts; and farther, that, in the inverted arrangement, these parts are transposed. We have also spoken of the places of Adjuncts. (See pp. 262, 263, &c.) Now clearness especially consists in the observance of these rules. Its opposites are caused by their violations. Only a few examples are needed here. 46. I know that he only superintends the establishment. In this example, only may be an adjunct of he, or of superintends. It is either; I know that he is the only one, who superintends; or, I know that he superintends only; that is, does nothing else. 47. It is folly to attempt to arm ourselves against the accidents of life, by heaping up treasures, from which nothing can protect us, but Divine Providence. Which, as it here stands, refers to treasures, instead of referring to accidents, as it should in order to make sense. 11. Strength is that property of style, which deepens, or enforces the idea presented. It is especially opposed to tautology, or a redundancy of words. a. Strength is here used very much, if not entirely the same, as strong or nervous in the nervous style. (See p. 460, iv.) 48. They returned back again to the same city, from whence they came. The words in italics are tautological, and therefore useless. They returned to the city, whence they came. b. The most important word must be placed conspicuously. For this purpose, we may transpose as much as we see fit, always bearing in mind, however, the principles of Emphasis, laid down in the twelfth proposition of the third book. 49. "Neither military, nor civil pomp was wanting. The avenues were lined with grenadiers. The streets were kept clear by cavalry."-Macaulay. Let the student re-write and change the places of any of these words, and then examine the effects of the change on the strength of the passage. c. A shorter sentence should precede a longer; and a weaker should precede one of greater strength. 50. "The sergeant made proclamation. Hastings advanced to the bar, and bent his knee. The culprit was, indeed, not unworthy of that great presence. He had ruled an extensive and populous country, had made laws and treaties, had sent forth armies, had set up and pulled down princes."Macaulay. d. Sentences should not end in short, trivial, or unemphatic words; except it be the intention to demean the expression. e. When two ideas are compared, either a similarity, or else a contrast should be maintained in the language. 51. Homer hurries us with commanding impetuosity; Virgil leads us with an attractive majesty; Homer scatters with a generous profusion; Virgil bestows with a careful magnificence."-Pope. 12. Euphony is a pleasing fitness; first, in the sounds employed; and second, in the adaptation of the sound to the idea expressed. It is opposed to ca-coph'o-ny, or unpleasantness of sounds. a. Our ideas of the fitness, or unfitness of the language will, as a matter of course, be influenced by the nature of the thought. 13. Euphony comprises melody and harmony. (See p. 457, d.) a. Melody, in language, consists in; first, agreeable sounds, as represented by single letters; second, by single words; and third, by sentences. First. Of the letters, the vowel sounds are the most melodious; the semi-vowels are the next; and the consonants are the least sc. (See p. 194 and 195.) Second. Of words, those containing a fair proportion of vowels, semi-vowels, and mutes, the most of the first, and the fewest of the last, are the most melodious; as, adamantine, tranquillity, pardon; those composed of an excess of vowels lack character; as, revere, ear; those having too many consonants are too rough; as, grass, stub, shrink, shamefacedness, &c. b. Harmony is, first, the agreement or concord of the |